Where have all the 2-year-olds gone? Mirroring the lack of interest in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which has fallen apart like a cheap suit, today’s $75,000 Cowdin Stakes at Belmont Park lured just three starters, perhaps the shortest field for a New York stakes since Personal Ensign beat Gulch and King’s Swan in the 1988 Whitney.

Not too long ago, the Cowdin was a major race on the schedule, won by 2-year-old champions like Foolish Pleasure, Rockhill Native, Devil’s Bag, Chief’s Crown and Easy Goer. But this year, in what is basically a match race, a trio of speed demons that have one stakes victory combined from 11 starts – Smokume (Shannon Uske up), Boston Brahmin (Jerry Bailey) and Lissau (Jose Santos) – will knock heads from the break going 6½ furlongs.

The field would have been larger, NYRA racing secretary Mike Lakow said, except that many of the horses nominated either got sick or shipped out of town.

As for the Oct. 25 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita, even though its purse has been boosted by $500,000 this year to $1.5 million, it’s a party few plan to attend.

Of the top five 2-year-old colts in the nation, four are taking a pass: Hopeful winner Silver Wagon is done for the year, as are trainer Nick Zito’s pair of Birdstone and Eurosilver, winners of the Champagne and Breeders’ Futurity, respectively. Ruler’s Court, who won last Sunday’s Norfolk at Santa Anita by 14 lengths, would have been the one to beat in the Juvenile. Instead, he’ll head to Dubai to prepare for next year’s Kentucky Derby.

That leaves Cuvee, runaway winner of the Saratoga Special and Belmont Futurity, as the heavy favorite for the Juvenile, even though he’s never been two turns and has a sprinter’s pedigree.

What’s scaring the top 2-year-olds away? The “Breeders’ Cup jinx.” Since the inaugural Cup in 1984, no Juvenile winner has won the Kentucky Derby. Only one, in fact, won a Triple Crown race: Timber Country, who took the Preakness in 1995.

Because of the short field, the Cowdin will be run as the third race on an 11-race card. The day’s true feature is the 10th race, the Grade 2, $150,000 Astarita at 6½ furlongs, which drew a field of nine 2-year-old fillies.

The one to beat is Ana’s Lady Bird, stablemate to Cuvee, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Bailey. The lightly raced daughter of Lord Carson won first out at Churchill Downs in June, finished third in an allowance dash July 30 at Saratoga, then came back three weeks later to score as she pleased by 9½ lengths.

Smokey Glacken (Santos), 2-for-2 including the Forward Gal at Monmouth Park, and lukewarm morning-line favorite Feline Story (Edgar Prado), winner of the Astoria at Belmont and Monmouth’s Grade 3 Sorority, are the main dangers.

Heavily favored Kicken Kris stalked the early pace set by longshot Carrier, took command down the stretch, then held off the late run of Rowans Park to win yesterday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Lawrence Realization Handicap by a length, running the mile-and-a-half over the Widener turf course in 2:27.

Ridden by Javier Castellano and trained by Michael Matz, Kicken Kris paid $3.10 for his fourth victory, including the Grade 1 Secretariat, in seven starts on grass.